00:00It might sound counterintuitive, but the best way to improve your cycling
00:03isn't necessarily through more cycling. Quite the opposite, in fact. Supplementing your riding
00:10with off-the-bike cross-training helps address those aspects of your fitness which don't get
00:14sufficiently developed through riding alone, but nevertheless are still crucial for your
00:19cycling performance. After all, it's no coincidence that essentially every professional cyclist
00:25includes regular off-the-bike exercises as part of their training plans. But unlike professional
00:31cyclists, not all of us have the time, money, or inclination to put in all the hours at the gym.
00:37So we've spoken to Dan Lachiofano, owner of Surrey Strength and Performance Gym, and Sam Mack,
00:43a chartered physiotherapist at the St. James Clinic in London, to get their expert recommendations
00:48of what five of the best home exercises are for maximum gains. And all of these can be done without
00:55any specialist equipment, so let's get into them. First up, we have Bulgarian Split Squats. Now,
01:02this is a unilateral or single leg exercise and is hugely beneficial to cyclists because
01:07it's essentially a two-in-one. The muscles targeted are your quadriceps and hamstrings,
01:12essentially both sides of your thighs, as well as your gluteus maximus, helping to boost your
01:17anaerobic power output for improved sprinting and efforts up to short to mid-sized climbs.
01:22Being a unilateral exercise, it also places demands on your balance and stability. Through
01:28controlling your knee direction and making sure it doesn't buckle inwards, you'll be improving
01:32your joint stability, which in turn will help reduce chances of overuse injuries whilst on the
01:38bike. The way to do this exercise is rest one foot on a bench or seat at approximately knee height,
01:44assume the forward lunge position, keeping the body upright, hip square with the rear foot resting on
01:50the bench. Lower the front leg to 90 degrees, keeping the knee aligned with the foot. Drive up
01:55through the hill to straighten the knee back to the starting position and aim to do 10 to 12 reps
02:00on
02:01each leg. After doing both legs, take up a two-minute rest and repeat this for up to five sets.
02:07Doing fewer
02:07reps and fewer sets initially as you build up your conditioning is ideal. Next, we have the good
02:15old-fashioned press-up, beloved by fitness classes throughout the world and with good reason.
02:20Although upper body exercises may seem superfluous for a cyclist, developing your upper body strength
02:26helps make it easier to maintain your riding position on the bike and is especially beneficial
02:31for sprinters who need to be able to counteract the forces they're putting down through the pedals.
02:36You should aim to keep the elbows tucked in so you're working the triceps more and to reduce the
02:41risk of injury to the shoulders as well as keeping your core tight and your body straight. Aim to be
02:46in control of the movement. Other than that, you should start off by placing your hands below the
02:51shoulder, slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep your shoulders, hips and ankles in a straight line.
02:57Bend your elbows to lower your chest just above the floor, keeping the elbows close to the chest.
03:02Then push back up to the start position. Aim for 10 to 15 reps, then two minutes rest and then
03:08try and do
03:08that for five sets. Again, fewer reps and fewer sets is recommended for those just starting out.
03:16With the Mason twists, we have yet another dynamic exercise, only this time you're starting to work
03:21the core and the obliques much harder. Strength in this area helps prevent rocking from side to side
03:27whilst riding, meaning less power wasted. Now, stabilizing lateral movement in this way is fundamental
03:33to maintaining good form on the bike, making you more efficient and reducing your risk of injury.
03:38If you have a hard wooden floor, you may wish to place a blanket or cushion or yoga mat if
03:43you have
03:43one under your bum to relieve the pressure on your coccyx. Now, the way to do this exercise is as
03:49follows.
03:50Sit on the floor with your knees bent, lean back roughly to about 45 degrees, keeping your back straight.
03:56With both hands in front of your chest, tighten the core and lift both legs off the floor. Rotate your
04:02arms from side to side, touching the floor around waist level and then twist to the opposite side to
04:07do the same. You can aim for 10 reps and then take a two minute rest before repeating for up
04:12to five sets.
04:13Or you can build up the reps and sets from whatever level suits you. Now, you can make this exercise
04:19harder
04:19by holding a dumbbell. Or if you don't have one, then you can fill a two litre bottle of water
04:24and hold that instead.
04:27Next up, we have the bridge. Now, for those just starting out, the bridge is a great exercise for
04:32developing your back and your core. Again, vital for your stability and maintaining your position on the bike.
04:39The bridge also helps to develop your hamstrings and gluteus, but less so than the split squats we did earlier.
04:45So, the way to do these ones is lie yourself on the floor with your knees bent at roughly 90
04:50degrees,
04:51with your feet flat and your arms by your side. Lift your hips up off the floor until the knees,
04:56hips and shoulders are in a straight line. Squeeze the glutes and tighten the core to prevent excessive
05:02load through the back. Then hold for two to three seconds for isometric contraction and then slowly relax.
05:09Now, if that's a bit too easy for you, then you can step things up a notch by resting your
05:13shoulders on
05:13a bench, sofa or chair and start with both your feet and bum on the ground. Then, with one leg,
05:20lift up so you're straight like a tabletop, being careful not to overextend, return and then repeat.
05:26As you'll just be using one leg and because your range of motion will be much greater,
05:31you'll be increasing both the demand on your muscles and also helping to develop your stability
05:36in your joints and your core. Now, for both of these, aim for between 10 to 15 reps and take
05:42up
05:42to two minutes rest in between. You probably know the drill by now, you should aim for up to five
05:46sets.
05:50We're going to end on a tough one here. If you're not yet able to do the full number of
05:53reps and sets
05:54for the split squats and single leg hip thrusts, it will be best for you to leave this one out.
06:00On the
06:01other hand, those exercises will provide really good conditioning for pistol squats, so in time,
06:06you'll be able to build up the strength to progress. Stand with your feet hip width apart, extend your
06:12chosen leg forwards with your toes pointed up, extend your arms out in front of you, bend your other knee
06:17and slowly lower yourself to the ground, pause and then straighten back up. Your extended leg should
06:24stay lifted for the whole of the duration. Then switch up and then repeat.
06:28This exercise is the most demanding for both muscular strength and stability, making it the most
06:34effective for boosting your cycling performance. But on the other hand, you might not be able to do
06:39it on your first try. Now, if you're not able to, but you do want to flesh out your session
06:44with a full
06:44five exercises, try a deep step up using a bench, chair or low wall as an alternative. Now, if you
06:51can
06:52get to the point where you can do 10 reps on each leg for five sets, then you will have
06:56definitely noticed
06:57a massive difference in your cycling performance. So there we have it. Those are our five favorite
07:05exercises to do at home with very minimal equipment. If you've got any at-home exercises,
07:10then do share them down in the comments. If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like,
07:14subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon.
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